The forthcoming release of the National Football League’s 2025 regular-season schedule is set to look very similar to last year’s, but the game slate itself is poised to be rather different—further showcasing the league’s attempt to make each of the 272 games a major event.
League officials are currently planning to unveil the full game schedule around May 15, a timing that would match last year’s release. The full drop of the game schedule is again likely to be preceded by announcements of special-event contests such as the Sept. 4 kickoff game at the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field and international games.
“Somewhere in the May 13, 14, or 15 range is probably still our target,” said NFL VP of broadcast planning and scheduling Mike North this week on the It’s Always Gameday in Buffalo podcast.
This year’s schedule, however, will contemplate several additional factors, making its construction more complex than ever. Among the additional issues:
- The record-setting collection of seven international games, including first-time trips for the NFL in the regular season to Ireland and Spain.
- An expanded Christmas Day slate with a game on Amazon to join another doubleheader on Netflix.
- A desire to reverse a 2% decline in regular-season ratings in 2024. An unprecedented audience for Super Bowl LIX provided a massive counterpoint, but the league is still aiming for the regular-season viewership dip not to become an extended trend.
- A recently approved measure to expand the amount of flex scheduling available for Amazon’s Thursday Night Football package.
- Settling which network will broadcast the league’s Sept. 5 return to Brazil, a game involving the Chargers as the designated home team.
- Keeping every rights holder happy as they seek to broadcast particularly coveted 2025 games such as a Super Bowl LIX rematch between the Chiefs and Eagles, and another high-profile clash between the Chiefs and Bills as Kansas City remains the NFL’s top television draw.
- The outcome of the upcoming draft and potential free-agent signings, such as whether Aaron Rodgers will sign with the Steelers. Green Bay will travel to Pittsburgh as part of the NFL’s established formula of 2025 game opponents.
“Are there some trades that are going to happen? [We’re] still waiting on a certain future Hall of Fame quarterback to sign somewhere, maybe this year,” North said on the podcast. “Hopefully, a lot of that is known by draft day.”
